04:07 PM EDT, 04/24/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity markets ended mixed Wednesday as new orders for durable goods increased more than expected.

* New orders for US durable goods rose by 2.6% in March following a downwardly revised gain of 0.7%. That was slightly above expectations for a 2.5% increase in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. Excluding a 7.7% jump in transportation goods, new orders were up only 0.2%.

* The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a 2.7% decline in mortgage applications in the week ended April 19 after a 3.3% gain in the previous week. Refinancing activity and new home applications both declined.

* June West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed down $0.46 to $82.90 per barrel, while June Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $0.30 to $88.12 as more crude shipments arrived following delays due to Red Sea disruption.

* The UK's Competition and Markets Authority announced the first phase of its antitrust investigations into deals made by Amazon ( AMZN ) and Microsoft ( MSFT ) with artificial intelligence companies. Shares of Amazon ( AMZN ) fell 1.4% while Microsoft ( MSFT ) slightly rose.

* B. Riley Financial ( RILY ) shares soared past 36% after the company said that it has filed its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, after a prolonged delay. The company said it identified material weaknesses in its internal controls over financial reports that expose it to additional risks.